Over the last few weeks, news has been flying that Paramount is getting closer to a deal to be sold to or merge with Skydance. This comes as, for months now, Paramount has been in talks with multiple companies for a potential sale or merger. This includes talks with Warner Bros. Discovery, Appollo Global Management, and others.
This week, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony Picture Entertainment and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion all-cash offer to buy Paramount. This comes as Skydance has reportedly offered about $5 billion for a merger offer with Paramount.
Now, though, Variety is reporting that the merger deal with Skydance is falling apart, and Paramount will likely turn down Sony’s offer. This will leave Paramount to continue on its own to fight cord-cutting and its competitors.
Sony’s deal would have reportedly seen Sony become the majority owner of Paramount if the deal was accepted and Apollo Global Management will take a minority stake. Details are thin but Paramount is reportedly not interested in the offer.
The deal with Skydance would have seen Paramount and Skydance merge but leadership be turned over to the CEO of Skydance.
Exact details of the offer have not been disclosed, but it is reported that the Redstone family, who owns a majority of Paramount, are reportedly preferred the Skydance deal over other offers, including the earlier offer from Sony and Apollo. Though now it is being reported that the talks are falling apart.
Exclusive windows like this are common in talks like this. Well, it does not guarantee that a deal will happen typically, windows like this happen when both sides think a deal is very possible. However, Sony joining Apollo could possibly make Paramount reconsider its options.
Currently, Paramount Global is controlled by media executive Shari Redstone. Redstone also controls National Amusements, which owns 77% of Paramount’s voting shares. Reportedly, the Redstone family is also looking to sell their 77% ownership of Paramount. With that ownership, the Redstone family needs to be on board with any deal, and it has been reported that they are more interested in a deal like this than other deals, like the offer from Appollo Global Management to buy just the studios. It seems that the Redstone family so far is unhappy with the offers they have received.
For now we will have to wait and see what happens but for now the reports are not looking good for any possible sale or merger.
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